Window-operating mechanism



oci. 1s, 1927.

J. H. ROETHEL WINDOW OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan'. 18. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l n INVENTOR Eloehel ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. ROETHEL WINDOW OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 18. 1926 lill'. ||||||||.||L

Oct. 18,1927.

Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOHN H. ROETHEL, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WIN DOW-OPERATING MECHANISMI.

Application led JanuaryV The main object of this invention is to provide a window operating mechanism for opening and closing automobile windows either wholly or partly. The usual type of mechanism uses either a lever or a spring operated roller which is required to be manipulated by both hands. This device aims to provide a mechanism which may be lowered or raised by the use of one hand so that when a person driving a motor vehicle is busy, having one hand on the steering wheel, the remaining hand may manipulate the window opening mechanism so that the window can be lowered with this hand for the purpose of permitting signalling or the like.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in the drawing.

Referring brieiiy to the drawing, Figure 1 is a partly sectioned top plan view of the window operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view, showing the window stop mechanism.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of Figure 2, showing the tension ratchet and pawl.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view, showing the means of braking rotation of the operating drum and release of the window stop rollers.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevational view of the bottom of the window of the casing, showing thev method of forming a leakproof fit between the window and door in which the window is mounted.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of F igure 6.

Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the spring brake operating lever.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure .10 is an elevational view o a vehicle door, showing the application thereto of the window operating means.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the center horizontal panel which extends across a door commonly used in vehicles. This panel has its ends mortised into sides 11 and 12 of the door. The sides and the upper framing member 13 of the door are provided with grooves adapted to receive the side edges and the top of a glass 14 which serves as a window.

18, 1926. Serial N0. 81,883.

Intermediate its length, the panel 10 is recessed and this recess receives a frame 15. which is secured in place by screws 16. Said frame is provided with a pair of parallel aligned plates 17 and 18. These plates receive the ends of a spindle 19 which extends entirely across the distance between the plates 17 and 18 and is rigidly mounted in the latter so that said spindle cannot rotate. A drum 20 is rotatably mounted on the spindle 19 and provides a housing 21 within the drum. A coil spring 22 is wound about grooves 24 on their peripheries which extend toward the center of the drum and an intermediate section 25 which has a smooth periphery and is divided from the grooved end sections by flanges 26. On the intermediate section of the drum 25, a plurality of turns or coils 27 of a relatively stilil spring areformed. One of the ends 28 of the coils 27 is rigidly secured to the frame 15. The opposite end 29 of the brake spring formed by the coils 27 is secured in an opening 30 formed in a disk 31 which is rotatably mounted on the frame 10 intermediate its length.

A pair of arms 32 and 33 are connected by a bar 34. The arms and bar form a. U- shaped carriage. Said arms extend curvedly upward toward the window 14, the bar 34 being positioned below the drum 2Q. Midway the length of the arms, openings are formed thru which passes the spindle 19. The upper ends of the arms are provided with outwardly extending studs 35 upon which rubber rollers 36 and 37 are rotatably mounted. The rollers 36 and 37 are normally in rolling contact. with the inner surface 38 of the window 14 when the window is being lowered and one of the rollers .37 serves as a brake for preventing the window from being automatically moved or slid upwardly by the tense spring 22. in the drum 20. The stud 35 which rotatably supports the roller 37 has a ratchet 39 fixed thereon, and this ratchet is engaged by a. pawl 40 pivotally anchored tothe arm 32. This pawl' has a weighted end which causes the active end of the pawl to at all tlmes remain in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 3,9.

One end of the spindle 19 has an additional ratchet 41 fixed thereto adjacent the arm 33. This ratchet is rigid with the splndle 19 and is engaged by a locking aWl 42, said pawl being pivotally mounte on the stud 35 sup ortmg the roller 36.

A portion o the frame 15 intermediate the le vthoi the recess is provided with an upwar y extending plate 43. Said plate hasa threaded opening therein in which is xed a sleeve 44. Said sleeve has a bottom 45 and a chamber 46 about said bottom in which the head 47 on a push button 48 is slidably mounted. Beneath the head 47, and between the head and bottom of the sleeve, a coiled sprin 49 is mounted by being Wound around t e push button 48. A washer 50 secured to the push but-ton below the bottom 45 of the sleeve prevents the push button from being entirely e tracted from its place in the sleeve. The inner end of the push button 48 engages an ear 51, which lat` ter forms part of and depends from the bar 34 of the trunnioned carriage. The disk 31, heretofore described, is mounted upon the sleeve 45 and is retained in place by a collar 52 which threadedly engages said sleeve. Said disk has a tongue 53 extending radially therefrom. Thistongue is provided with a hemi-spherical de ression 54 intermed1ate its length and a kno 55 at its outer end. The knob is adaptedr to be exposed from the frame adjacent the sleeve 44 and the depres sion in the sleeve is adapted to be engaged by a small round headed pin 56, wh1ch 1s mounted in the frame 15. Said pin, when the ton e 53 is riding over the former, causes exing of said tongue untll the depression 54 becomes aligned with the pin, in

which position the disk finds itself locked.

A air of cords or cables 57 and 58 are sitioned in the helical grooves 24 of the rum, one end of said cables being secured to the drum while the opposite end is secured to one of a plurality of hooks 59 which are blanked out of the bottom of a channelled cradle member 60, the latter servin as a s upport for the window 14. On one o the sides of the channelled cradle 60, the outer side, a taperin rubber wedge 61 1s fastened. This fiexi le wedge is adapted to form a leak-proof tit between the frame member 62, which forms part of the door and 1s adapted to come `in contact with an inclined surface 63 on the frame member 62 whenthe window is completely closed so that during ramy weather, no moisture will seep into the cham-v ber into .which the window 14 slides'when in lowered position. 4

This device is ada ted to be operated when I openin or closing` t e window with" the aid one and. The disk 31 to which the end 29 of the coil spring 27 is attached is adaptthe brake .spring has of frictionally binding on the surface 25 of the drum 20. When the Window is completely closed and the tongue 53 has been llfted, as described, and the` brake spring released from Contact with the drum, the hand of the operator may then lower the window, assuming that it is in closed osition. As the window 14 is being lowere in its door frame manually, the rollers 36 and 37 rotate in one direction and l are thru rthis lowering operation in contact with the surface 38 of the window. `When the window has been lowered, the tendency of the spring 22 is to immediately lift the window again. This tendency is checked by 1 the frictional contact between the periphery of the roller 37 and the surface of the glass 38. This roller 37 can only rotate in one direction, and in order topermit the glass to be lifted by the aid of the tense spring 22 l in the drum 20, the roller 37 must be released from contact with the glass as the ratchet Wheel 39 cooperates with the weighted pawl 40, prevents rotation of the roller 37 in the directionin which it would permit the window 14 to be automatically raised by the spring 22. When desiring to'lift'the window by the mechanism means presented in the s ecication, the tongue 53 is rotated upwar 1y or retained in such position and the head 47 of the push button 48 is depressed against the tension of the spring 49. Depression of the push button causes the latter to engage the ear 51 and rotate the entire carriage consisting of the arms 33 and 32 on which the rollers 36 and 37 are mounted and the bar 34 about the axis of the s indle 19 until both rollers 36 and 37 are re eased from contact with the surface 38 of the window, after which the latter is mechanically lifted by the tense spring 22, rotating the drum in a direction in whichthe cables are wound upon the helical grooved portions of said drum. To stop the window movement at any position of its travel, the button 1s released. This button immediately causes the trunnion carriage to ret-urn the rollers 36 and 37 into contact with the surface 38 of the window 14 and in this manner the brake is applied, stopping further movement as a distinct purpose. The double systemv of braking movement of the drum renders the apparatus fool proof. When the window is fully or partly lowered, and a erson within the car were to tamper and epress Vli the push button while the tongue 53 inds itself in lowered position, no response of the mechanism would be had, as the coil spring also finds itself in a locked position. To prevent injury to a person within the car who may inadvertently depress the button, two brake mechanisms are applied so that if the one were actuated, the remaining one would accomplish the purpose of still holding the mechanism inactive.

The travel of the window 14 in various makesI of cars diifers. The angle of the cables 58 and 57 varies accordingly, as said ,cables are entirely wound upon the drum or paid out therefrom. It is to provide the smallest angle of inclination and at the same time eliminate the necessity of changing the pitch of the helical grooves 24 to suit the needs of different sizes of windows to which the device is to be applied, that a plurality of hooks 59 are provi ed.

I claim 1. In a window operating mechanism having a vertically movable Window, a spring tensione'd roller and flexible means connect- Ving said roller and window, means for locking the window in lowered or partly lowered position comprising a U-shapedbar pivoted about the axis of the roller, additional brake rollers mounted rotatably on said bar, said brake rollers normally engaging the Window, finger depressed means for lifting the brake rollers from the window, and means adjacent said brake rollers for locking said brake rollers against rotation in one direction.

2. In a window operating mechanism having a vertically operated window, a spindle supporting a spring tensioned roller, and cords connecting theA roller and the window, means for locking the window in any lowered'position comprising a U-shaped bar pivoted on said spindle havin its free ends rojecting above said spin le, brake ro lers mounted rotatably on said free ends normally engagin the Window, ratchets secured to and rotata le with said brake rollers, and means pivoted on the free ends of the bar engaging said ratchets for locking the brak( rollers against rotation in one-direction.

3. In a Window operating mechanism having a vertically movable window, a spindle supporting a spring tensioned roller, and cords connecting the roller and Window,

,means for releasing or locking the Window at any position of 1ts travel comprising a U- shaped bar having vertical arms thereon,

p said arms swinging on said spindle, the spindle passing thru said arms intermediate their length, brake rollers mounted rotatably at the upperL ends of said arms, a ratchet secured to each brake roller and rotatable with the latter, a pawl on each arm normally engaging the teeth of the ratchets, said pawls having a Weighted lower end for retaining the pawls in engagement with the ratchets,

and a spring projected push button engaging the U-shaped bar normally urging the upper ends of the arms toward the window to cause the brake rollers to engage the window and brake the same.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

JOHN H. ROETHEL. 

